Cotton conveyer



1937. w. H. SUTTENFIELD ET AL 2,102,442

COTTON com/Ema Filed June 8, 1934 4 Shee ts-Sheet 1 VV/LL/HM H SUTTEHF/Em OL/N L. 543% VQN Bums A. HOWARD Dec. 14, 1937. w. H. SUTTENFIELD ET AL COTTON CONVEYER 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 8, 1954 3mm: W/LL/nM-H SUTTEHF/ELJJ OLIH L. Yoez VAN Buzz/4 H. How/92D 1937. w. H. SUTTENFIELD ET AL 2,102,442

COTTON CONVEYER Filed June 8, 134 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 I WILLIAM H. SUTTEN FIELiD OL/N L. You:

Vn/v- Bung l- A. Howao Dec. 14, 1937. w. H. SUTTENFIELD ET AL COTTON CONVEYER Filed June 8, 1934 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 gvwcwtom; WILLIHM H. SUTTENFIELD OL/N L. fuzz VHN Buzz/v F). How/mp Patented Dec. 14, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE COTTON CONVEYER corporated, Statesville, N.

of North Carolina 0., a corporation Application June 8, 1934, Serial No. 729,692

1 Claim. (Cl. 19-67) This invention relates to a machine for cleaning and conveying cotton and more especially to an elongated tube with a plurality of heaters therein which not only loosens up the cotton so that the dirt and trash will be removed therefrom but also conveys the cotton from one machine to another at the same time.

In the opening rooms of cotton mills where the bales of cotton are opened up the loose cotton is conveyed to the picker room through a long conveyer pipe by suction. This operation draws in dust and causes more dirt and trash to be in the cotton. The present invention does not work on a pneumatic principle but conveys the cotton through the elongated tube by means of a plural ity of rotary beaters which loosen the cotton and allows the trash and dirt to fall through a suitable grate or grid bars disposed in the lower portion of the tube, thereby separating the'trash and dirt from the cotton.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a cotton conveyer which will convey the cotton from one point to another and'at the same time remove objectionable matter such as trash, dirt and motes therefrom.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a cotton conveyer which is efficient and economical to operate. By actual experiment it has been found that after the cotton has been passed through the conveyer and placed in conventional pickers, fully fifty percent more trash has been removed from it than cotton which has been conveyed by pneumatic means. This increased efliciency is due to the fact that the cotton is loosened up and fiufied in this invention whereas, pneumatic means has a tendency to form the cotton into lumps. It has also been found by experiment that much less power has been required to operate the machinery in the picker room when this conveyer is used due to the excellent working state of the cotton.

Some of the objects of the invention having been stated other objects will appear as the description proceeds when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:-

Figure' 1 is a plan view of the invention connected to a conventional bale breaker and a vertical opener;

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken along the line 22 in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 33 in Figure l;

. Figure 4 is a sectional view taken along the line 4-4 in Figure 1;

Figure 5 is an enlarged transverse sectional view taken along the line 55 in Figure 4;

Figure 6 is an enlarged longitudinal view taken along the line 66 in Figure 5;.

Figure '7 is a sectional view taken along the line 5 1-1 in Figure 1;

Figure 8 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the invention operating with a bale breaker and lattice opener.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 10 the numeral l0 denotes a conventional bale breaker which has an apron ll upon which the cotton is placed when it is removed from the bale. The cotton passes from apron II to pin apron l2 (see Fig. 8), under pin cylinder [3, and by dcfier I4. The arrangement of parts in Figure 1 is particularly adapted to clean short staple cotton; therefore, after the cotton has passed through the bale breaker II] a section of a cleaner and conveyer is secured to the end of the bale breaker 0 which conveys the cotton to a conventional vertical opener I 5.

By referring to Figure 4 it is seen that this conveyer is comprised of an elongated rectangular tube l6 which is reinforced with suitable corner angles l1, l8, l9 and 20. Secured to the outer portions of the sidewalls of tube l6 are angles 2| and 22 which serve as reinforcing members and also as supports for the bearings 23 and 24. All of these bearings are identical and will be given like reference characters. Fixedly mounted in each of bearings 23 and 24 is a sleeve 25 in which is rotatably mounted a shaft 26, said shaft 26 having fixedly secured thereon a pair of truncated conical members 2! by any suitable means such as set screw 21a. Sleeve 25 projects several inches into hub 21 in order that the oil which may be used for the lubrication of the bearings 23 and 24 will not escape and damage the cotton. Since the small end of cone 2'! fits tightly against the sidewalls of the tube and the sleeves 25 project a substantial distance into the hubs, there is practically no seepage of oil on the inside of tube IS. The right-hand end of tube I6 is supported in its proper relation to vertical opener l5 by suitable supports 33, whereas the left-hand end is likewise supported with relation to bale breaker l0 by supports 34, (see Fig. 4).

Mounted on the large ends of cone shaped members 21 is a cylinder 30 in which is threadably secured a plurality of prongs 3|. These prongs rotate with the cylinder and loosen the cotton as it is conveyed. By having a smooth cylindrical rotating surface there is no danger of the cotton becoming entangled with. the conveying apparatus and causing unnecessary wear and trouble.

Secured to the inside of the sidewalls of tube I6 is a pair of angles 95 and 96 upon which is mounted a grate 91. It is seen that the top edge of the grate bars are wedge-shaped and inclined towards the direction of rotation of the lower side of the cylinder so that the dirt, trash, stones and the like will easily pass between the bars and into the lower compartment 38 of the tube.

A plurality of cleanout doors 59 are located in suitable places in order thatthe refuse matter may be removed from compartment 36.

The upper compartment likewise has suitable windows 4| spaced at desired intervals so that the operation of the conveyer may be viewed without removing the cover. Disposed on top of the conveyer are a plurality of inspection doors 42 which will allow one to have access to the inside of the tube.

The shaft 26, on the extreme left-hand end of Figure 4, has mounted on the end thereof a pulley 45 which is adapted to be driven by a suitable belt, not shown (see Fig. 'l). A sprocket 49 is also fixedly secured on this shaft and has mounted thereon a chain 5i, said chain 5| being also mounted on a similar sprocket 49 on the next shaft 26, to the right in Figure 4. All of the shafts 26 which are mounted in conveyer l6, except the end shafts, have two sprockets 49 and 50 fixedly mounted thereon. Mounted on each pair of sprockets 49 is a chain 5| and mounted on eac pair of sprockets 50 is a chain 52.

It is seen when the pulley 45 rotates that each of the shafts 26 will also rotate since they are hooked up in series; therefore, the cylinders 30 and prongs 9| will rotate to loosen up the cotton and transfer it at the same time.

When the cotton has reached the right-hand end of conveyer l6, (Fig. 4), it is conducted by pneumatic means through the spout 53 in the conventional vertical opener I5. After passing through the machine it is passed from the apron 54 to another section of cleaner and conveyer tube 55 to the picker apron 56.

Conveyer tube 55 is supported at its proper elevation by any suitable means such as supports 51 and 58. The construction of this tube is similar to tube l6 and another description is not deemed necessary but like parts will bear like reference characters and the exceptions in the construction will be described.

The extreme left-hand shaft 26 in Figure 3 is similar to shaft 26 as shown in Figure 7 and has a pulley fixedly secured on the end thereof and also a sprocket 49. Pulley 69 is driven by belt 6| which is mounted on pulley 62, said pulley 62 being fixedly mounted on conventional opener shaft 63. Likewise, in this conveyer each shaft 26 except the end ones, has a pair of sprockets 49 and 59 fixedly mounted thereon and each pair of sprockets 49 are connected by a chain 5| as well as each pair of sprockets 56 are connected by a chain 52. The end shafts have inner sprocket 49 mounted thereon but do not have a sprocket 56.

It will be noted that conveyer 55 has its righthand end (Fig. 8) inclined upwardly in order that the cotton may be more thoroughly cleaned before it is delivered to the picker.

When the cotton reaches the right-hand end of conveyer 55 it falls through opening 65 onto the apron 56 of the picker, When the picker stops to doff, a certain amount of overflow occurs in conveyer 55; consequently, the opening 65 will be 5 filled up. In order to take care of this overflow, a suitable conveyer 66 is provided which has rotatably mounted therein shafts 61 and 66 having rollers 69 and 19 respectively mounted thereon. Upon these rollers is mounted a belt II which has 1 a plurality of prongs 12 secured thereto which engage the overfiow cotton that is thrown on the belt 1| and convey it back to the apron ll of the bale opener l0. This arrangement prevents the choking up of the conveyer 55. Shaft 66 has a l pulley I5 fixedly mounted on the end thereof which is driven by a suitable belt, not shown. It is evident that as shaft 66 rotates the conveyer belt II will also rotate.

The right-hand end of conveyer 66 is supported 2 by any suitable means such as posts 16 and the left-hand end is supported by the end of conveyer 55.

Figure 8 shows another combination of machines with which this conveyer is adapted to be 2 used. This arrangement consists of a bale break er iii, a section I9 of the conveyer, a lattice opener I9 and the picker. The parts in the conveyer 19 are identical to the parts described in conveyer l6 and will bear like reference characters. It 3 has been found in cleaning long staple cotton that a cleaner and conveyer 19 of about seven feet in length is used to the best advantage whereas, if short staple cotton is used about ten feet will produce better results.

In the drawings and specification there has been set forth a preferred embodiment of the invention, and although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only, and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being set forth in the appended claim.

We claim:

Fiber preparation machinery comprising a bale breaker, an opener, and a picker, a horizontally 45 disposed endless belt for feeding fibers into the bale breaker, a tube disposed between the bale breaker and the opener and having a series of grates forming upper and lower horizontal compartments extending for the length of the tube, the interior of the tube being exposed to atmospheric pressure, said tube having a plurality of driven beaters disposed transversely thereof for driving the fibers from the bale breaker to the opener, a second tube disposed between the opener and the picker and having a series of grates therein forming upper and lower compartments, the upper compartment having a plurality of transversely disposed driven beaters therein for forcing the fibers from the opener to the picker, a second endless belt for conveying any surplus fibers which are not fed into the picker back and onto the top of said first endless belt whereby the surplus fibres are again introduced into the bale breaker.

WILLIAM H. SUTI'ENFIELD. OLIN L. YORK. VAN BUREN A. HOWARD. 

